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Blame America

What is good at City is that the fans are truly fans. They love you. Arsenal have a lot of fans who are not fans. Arsenal have fans from America and Jamaica. Today they are Arsenal fans, tomorrow they will be Liverpool fans and after tomorrow they will be Manchester United fans. — Emanuel Adebayor.

I hate flying. Hate actually isn’t a strong enough word, I’m terrified of flying and I dread getting on a plane. Even when I drop my friends off at the airport I get a pit in my stomach. I actually think that perhaps I’ll never see them again.

Yes, it’s irrational, but then no one has ever accused me of rational thought. How could they, I get up every morning at 4am and write for two to three hours about some “soccer” team in England? That’s completely irrational, right?

Back to the flying thing; it was Arsenal’s last year at Highbury, I was going through a nasty divorce, I caught pneumonia, and I had just had my motorcycle stolen, one of the worst years of my life. At that point I had nothing to lose, literally. So, I called the doctor and he gave me some pharmacueticals to get me on the plane and I flew to London for a week. No tickets to the game, no clue even where to get tickets, just blind faith that somehow, some way, I would get in to see Arsenal; a club I had supported for nearly 10 years.

I ended up staying in this utter shithole of a hotel, right in Picadilly Circus, which had a brilliant concierge who promised me match tickets to see Arsenal play Charlton… for $150. Yes, I knew I was getting ripped off, but so what? I just flew 4800 miles in a rickety deathtrap and was staying in a hotel which was populated mainly by chain smoking Germans who complained incessantly about the breakfast buffet, what was a little rodgering by the concierge if it meant I could get to Highbury before they tore it down to make room for rich people’s 1 bedroom apartments?

And it was totally worth it, pfff $150 was cheap. The moment I mounted those steps (an hour before the 7am, erm, I mean, 3pm kickoff) and rose above the crest to see the Highbury pitch I knew that I was home.

I had never felt anything like that before. It was this mixture of awe and satisfaction. At every turn there was something old that was new to me: the clock end, I had never seen the clock before. The guns in the seats on the other stand, how could I have known those were there since every match I’d ever seen up to that point had been on television and Highbury was always sold out? The crush of bodies as I foolishly tried to take a piss at half-time, the songs that the drunken fans were singing on the concourse, and throughout the game, unintelligible to me, again, since I’d only ever seen them on television and yet brilliant in their communal joy.

One of the players who would become special for me on that day would be Emmanuel Adebayor. Here was this lanky African working his balls off all over the pitch and truly reveling in his game. On that beautifully crisp, cold day, Adebayor missed plenty of chances (which would become a major criticism later on) some of which were wide open, but there was one moment where he used his strength to get over the Charlton defender and then rounded on the keeper and simply scored a brilliant goal.

Since that day I have always supported Adebayor. I think more than once my support of the guy has actually lost me readers but then, I don’t care about that. I only care about the Arsenal. In the season when he scored 30 goals, I had readers who decried Adebayor as “profligate” and said that Henry would have score 50 if he had the chances that Ade had. I showed them statistically how he was nearly as good as Thierry Henry in his conversion rate and how he was actually more of a team player because he demanded the ball less and took fewer shots to get the same number of goals.

When he went apeshit in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea I equivocated. After all, it wasn’t his fault, he was wrongly sent off for something Eboue did, of course he’s going to be emotional. I think I said something like “I just wish he had left the pitch in an orderly fashion, but who could blame him after John Obi-Mikel had been kicking everyone off the pitch?”

When he went full retard last year and gave that fateful interview in which he said he wanted to play for “one of the biggest clubs in the world,” I made excuses and scoured the internet for retractions from the player.

When he went into ludicrous mode and kissed the badge after the summer of his discontent, I still defended him. Albeit, at this point I was starting to feel a little shame.

And when he spent the entire year lolling around on the pitch, seemingly happy in his pay rise, well, I tried. I really really tried to get behind him but even I could no longer support this man who had betrayed Arsenal so deeply. I still would never have booed him but I did understand where the frustration came from.

Because at Arsenal it doesn’t matter so much if you miss goals, what matters is 100% commitment. Look at what Eboue has shown! In the face of much more adversity than Adebayor ever saw, Eboue has simply kept his chin up, worked hard and never complained about the boss or the fans. Fans literally booed Eboue off the pitch in a torrent of hatred and tears and all he did was get back to work. He didn’t complain about the treatment he got, he didn’t get caught offside, he didn’t go into a Champions League semi-final and look as if he couldn’t give two fucks what happened on the pitch: he just went straight back to work and did his job.

That’s all we want, a player who is going to give his all for the cause, for the Arsenal.

Even more than last year’s farewell fuck you to the club that Adebayor supposedly loved and the manager that he claims he appreciates, was this weekend’s disgraceful display which was preceded by an outrageous statement. Prior to the match, Adebayor made the comment which I printed at the very start of this article. That the problem at Arsenal and the reason he left and the reason for his pitiful performances last year, is that Arsenal have American and Jamaican (???) fans.

I have a pretty thick skin about this issue, developed over years of having UK supporters come onto my blog and say I can’t really be a fan because I’m an American. When the Sounders joined the MLS, I had loads of people telling me to write a blog about and support my local team, that, again, I couldn’t possibly REALLY support Arsenal. And when I travel to London the looks I get from the locals when I tell them that this is my vacation and that this is what I love to do; fly 9000 miles to see my beloved Arsenal in person, every year, without fail. Those looks and the jibes, well, you just have to get used to them.

But for some reason this year the xenophobia around this issue has reached new heights. There has been a marked increase in the number of people who come in here and call me and my readers fake fans and tell us to fuck off and support United. Then Adebayor makes his statement and again specifically targets American fans. An then today this was followed by an article in EPL Talk which again repeats this smear.

It’s sad and illogical, really. Is Arseblogger any less of an Arsenal supporter because he’s Irish? Was he somehow less of an Arsenal supporter when he was an Irishman blogging from Spain who only got to see an odd handful of matches in person? Are my readers, who get up at 4am to watch Arsenal on television, folks who are members of the club, lesser supporters simply by the providence of their birth?

That’s crazy.

What’s really crazy though is to hear City fans talking about being a “real” supporter. What are they going to do if their club breaks into the top four by displacing Liverpool and suddenly they are faced with the same situation that happened to Chelsea? Are they going to actually decry the bandwagon jumpers who are helping to support their club? No, because it’s mind-bogglingly stupid and obviously xenophobic, though I’m starting to wonder if mind-bogglingly stupid and obviously xenophobic aren’t inherent traits of the City supporter.

Arsenal fans are Arsenal fans the world over and they are all welcome to support this club. The fact that I was privileged to get to see Arsenal play at Highbury doesn’t make me more of a fan than anyone else, it just means that I was lucky. Hell, I know I’m lucky and I’m grateful for the fact that the job I have and my lovely family affords me the luxury to see Arsenal in person every year. I would never lord that over someone else. How could I tell some poor kid from North London who has never seen Arsenal in person but who worships Walcott that he’s less of a fan than me?

To me it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been watching Arsenal for 5 minutes or 50 years, whether you watch them on a shitty internet feed in Australia or are afforded the outrageous luxury to see every home and away match in person, whether you are a full red level member of the club or just a casual supporter, if you say you love the Arsenal then you’re alright in my book.

Anyone who says anything else is just projecting their own frail support for their club and it’s fitting that something like that would come from the mouth of a man like Emmanuel Adebayor: the poster child for frail support.

great write up. the start of your article would make for a great country song. Anyways, i do not give a toss how others feel about me supporting the gooners. I also think our American perspective adds some flavor to the mix.

Excellent. Those who worry about who’s a real man, er, fan, perhaps aren’t so secure themselves….

And as for Ade…I too supported him until the day he was sold. He’s an exceptional talent, but what an ass. That’s the thing about only getting the TV camera’s view….we can’t watch what we want to see at the stadium. Perhaps both of us would have turned against Ade (like so many stadium fans did) if the camera were on him for an entire game, watching him fail to get back on-sides or other wise lolling about.

I’m getting married in December and am trying to convince my fiance to honeymoon in North London!!I’ve been a non-stop supporter for four years now and can’t wait to make it to see a match in person, it will certainly be one of the best days of my life. As it stands now, I spend much money on television programming to ensure I can see every match live, and truly appreciate the opportunities brought to us “american pseudo-fans”….by the way adebayor, does a crazy rich arabian pouring millions upon millions into your club instantly make him a fan?!?!?

I’m a Londoner born and bred, I’m also lucky enough to be a season ticket holder at the emirates,and all I’ll say to you guys is keep supporting the team, as far as Arsenal fans are concerned we’re all a big family, no matter where you’re from !!

A very well written piece. You now have a new regular reader.
I was brought up in Essex and was taken to West Ham and Tottenham before going to Arsenal and I know exactly what you mean about visiting Highbury for the first time.

Great article..this site is easily becoming one of my favourite arsenal blogs, along with arseblogger and vital Arsenal…I’ve only been reading your posts over the last few months, but i’m now a regular reader, cheers and keep up the good work..

Maybe I can throw some light on the distrust of American fans. You chose to support Arsenal, mostly in the good years, the Wenger years, so there’s always a sneaking suspicion you’ll one day choose to support somebody else. Most us locals didn’t have a choice; Arsenal was thrust upon us. We inherited it from parents and grandparents; we live in streets where they’ve been hanging out Arsenal banners on Cup Final day since the streets were first built. Or so the snobbery goes.

Of course it’s about as stupid and inappropriate to the twenty-first century as the other big snobbery: the I’ve-been-a-season-ticket-holder-for-over-forty-years… Actually, the season-ticket holders did once have the right to think of themelves as the moral owners of the club – it was there money and support that kept it in business. But not anymore. Television has changed things forever. Football is global, so a fan watching in a bar in Lome or Dallas or Delhi is also contributing to the club’s revenues. TV money matters more than ticket sales now.

For the record, I’m not a season ticket holder – I can’t afford more than a couple of games a season – but I do live in a street where they hang out Arsenal banners, and where some of the old people had their weddings at Highbury, and where Arsenal scarves are draped over coffins…

@Mia, You have a point there about Non-North London locals becoming fans of Arsenal mainly because of Wenger. I’ll totally agree that I fell in love with Arsenal because of the football they play (not necessarily the trophies they won) and thats mainly down to Wenger. But once you are in love with something, it really is not easy to stop loving it even if the reason that you fell in love with it no longer holds true. I mean I’m an Indian who grew up in India but fell in love with the West Indies cricket team (mainly becuase of their dominance in the 80s) but I still cant stop supporting them even now when they probably can’t beat Kenya (no offence to the Kenyan team). To this day I haven’t shifted allegiance.
When you say you truly love something it really is impossible to stop loving no matter what the situation. The same holds for an American/Jamaican/or any other country’s Arsenal fan.

Seriously, that’s one of the best blog entries I’ve seen in a long time, really emotive stuff.

I get really irritated by the ‘real fan’ nonsense, and it seems particularly prevalent amongst City fans because those born in Manchester have chosen to support City instead of United, and many of them seem to think themselves superior as a result of that non glory-hunting choice.

Not all, mind – I went to university years ago with a cracking City fan, who actually can’t stand what’s going on now – he despairs at the values that have been ripped out of the club. There are fans out there like that.

Agree. The thought of Stoke and co really worries me. Chelsea struggled to beat them, and Chelsea, though not a better team than us, are a much more clinical and efficient one. Our trouble is we’ve got no penetration; hours of beautiful passing with no one in the box who can score. Then we lose heart. Then we lose concentration and concede.

thts the best post i have seen fr the longest while i am from ja and as a black man i have always defended ade even after last years performances but when he goes around saying stuff like wats wrong with arsenal is becuz they have american and jamaican fans then i say fuck him i wish i could be at the emirates for the return game cuz i personally would throw a chair or a bottle at him and i am sure i woudnt miss

Over the weekend, there were two stories in the press regarding the actions of two black Americans that most in the media, and most people in general, felt were “classless”, the work of a couple of backwater coonts. (I am speaking of course of Serena Williams and Kanye West).

I have, to a degree, silently thought that white America’s reaction to Kanye and Serena’s actions were quietly racist. That no one seemed to have a problem when McEnroe tore into side judges at the Open, and if Kanye was, say, a white Jonas brother, no one would in the press would be calling him a talent-less ass.

The defenders of Kanye and Serena have chalked up their poor behavior to unfortunate acts of passion, that they were just in the moment, and should be forgiven. A defense that sounds very close to the way City fans and Mark Hughes are defending Adebayor.

Which made me take a step back just now, and think about all of us calling Adebayor a retard.

Would we be calling a Hleb a coont of the highest order if, say, he had been the one to have a go at America fans and stamp on van Persie?

I am not calling anyone here a racist, especially you, Tim. I think our opinions are valid, especially when I take into consideration lukeygunner25′s comments.

I just cannot stop thinking…if it was Steffi Graff instead of Serena, if it was Billy Joe from Green Day instead of Kanye West, if it was Alexander Hleb instead of Adebayor.

Matt, I just don’t buy this racism argument, not as regards Ade. I think when he first came, many people warmed to him precisely because he’s from a small, very poor country, which he almost single-handedly hauled to the World Cup. I think they warmed to him because there’s something very appealing about his personality and because he’s attractive to look at, with his smile and chest muscles and gangly legs. Take the other people, who’ve suffered more stick from the fans than Ade ever did: Senderos, Cygan, Bendtner, Eboue: where does race come into it?

Look, it’s not that I don’t have prejudices; just that my prejudices aren’t related to race. I happen to like players who remind me of cats – Henry, Song, Hleb and Pires – and I don’t like players who remind me of dogs. Bendtner is dog.

Another thing about watching on tv. You may miss the atmosphere but you sure see more of the game. The last match I went to, the Youth Cup final, I actually missed a penalty decision. It was at my end, I was sitting right at the front, behind the goal, and I thought: What? We’ve got penalty, Wilshere is taking it? An extremely large steward had wandered in front of me, and I’d not seen a thing!

Yes, weird that Ade picks on Jamaica. America I can understand, I suppose, because they probably constitute the largest group of our overseas fans, but Jamaica? Why them rather than Malta, say, which is another small island with a committed group of fans – I was really chuffed to see an Arsenal-Malta banner at Highbury in the days when national banners were allowed.

I’m glad I read this, I never actually knew there was such a snobbish disdain toward foreign fans. Personally I want more foreign fans and all should be done to encourage and nurture it, because at the end of the day it all means more money for the club.

The examples given here are pretty out of order with their dismissive tone towards foreign fans, but one of them goes even further, the epltalk one, which seems to suggest anyone who supports a big team is a fairweather fan, which is absolute rubbish. I live a few miles away from Highbury, and on a clear day if I get to the top of the hill I can see the stadium pretty much from where I live, and I hate having to defend my support against accusations of glory hunting, which often turns me into a seething ball of rage… well you try keeping your cool when a Man Utd fan from London accuses you of being a glory hunter.

I was born in Jamaica; moved to London at three years old, where I lived for more than thirty five years in what is today Gants Hill, no more than a stone’s throw from Valentines park. In 2001 I moved to the US to join a medical practice run by my closest friend. I now reside in NC with my wife , two daughters and a yellow lab named George after Graham. I was there when Sunderland scored the last minute winner to beat the Mancs 3-2 in the FA cup. I lived through the George-Hauge scandal and Rioch’s one year in charge. I was there when a bespectacled Frenchman took to the sidelines for the first time for my beloved Arsenal, and my dad and I wondered whether we would look back on the George Graham days as the good old days. Thanks to my DVR, Setanta, FSC, GolTv and my computer, I don’t get to miss a single Arsenal game. Heck , I even have a yearly subscription to ATVO just to keep track of post game interviews and preseaon games. I still get a non-stop string of emails, text and phone calls from my old mates in London. Does that make me any less an Arsenal fan than the next guy?

Even more ludicrous than the nonsense about Americans and Jamaicans was his story about how he got in a fuss with Bendtner. I mean, it wasn’t something like non-cooperation on the field, it was violating a shoe rule that Ade took it upon himself to enforce, and later a finger which justified the head butt.

Of course, in light of Saturday, it fits: Ade warmed up at the Arsenal end — perhaps to taunt the fans, perhaps to jack himself up, perhaps to preen, like Sir Charles used to do in warm-ups. But then, they hurt his feelings, so anything he did in response is justified and ok. He deliberately stamps Cesc, stamps Robin, but so long as he says he’s sorry, he can continue to do it — that got old when my kid got to be 4.

Nice post Tim as always. When r u making it over this season? Anyone watching channel 5? Wrightys new programme and hes debating the Ade incidents with a former page 3 girl and an apprentice reject,u couldnt make it up. Anyway,great news on Dudu. Really cant wait for wednesday and saturday,we really have to get the last two games out of our system now no fucking about. Theo or rosicky have to start games now…

Dudu vindicated! Referee and match officials stand by their judgment; nowhere for EUFA to go. Had the decision not been overturned then the Wenger report would most likely have been published, and EUFA would have looked like morons.

Now at least we have a real villain to hate, and how deserved.

Ade brought everything upon himself. The aggrieved fans got on his back because he wasn’t performing, pure and simple. He clearly doesn’t have the wit to appreciate this, or much else it appears, and for that reason he will never be a great player. It is not just a question of footballing skill, but a question of perception, and a player’s place in the greater team scheme.

As for his puerile comments about Jamaica, how many Togolese have switched alliegance?

A supporter is a supporter, and anyone who is prepared to stand up for the Gunners, and speak up for them wherever they are is a true fan. The majority of fans in fact never get to a live match. There are far more outside the ground than in. It doesn’t make them a lesser supporter. They appreciate what the club stands for, it’s traditions, it’s policies, and it’s committment to good football.

As for this blog Tim, it is by far the best, well written in intelligent English, and with intelligent comment. Not the case on a lot of sites I’m sorry to say.

To get up in the early hours, and write day-after-day is a committment almost beyond the call of duty. More power to your quill!!!!!!

Look at it another way. We shouldn’t be offended at poor Ade’s remarks because a terrible thought must have entered his head: the thought of America, where from Alaska to the southern-most tip of Chile there are Gooners glued to tvs; the thought of little islands like Jamaica so full of Arsenal supporters no one else can get in. Jesus, how to endure it, not one of these millions and millions of people will ever be watching Ade again!

I was also quite baffled about the “Jamaican fans” bit. Maybe one could figure out the “American” jibe because the USA is a rather large and fairly prominent country, but why on earth Jamaica?

However, thinking a bit about it, I recall a few chirps by adebeyor about Bendtner, and what appeared like more than just a small touch of jealousy in those remarks.

Guess who’s parentage is Jamaican?

None other than our own TH14.

Maybe adebeyor really is as shallow, insecure and small-minded as he appears to be?

I too supported him through thick and thin while he played for us, and normally I follow our ex-players’ careers with some goodwill (just not when playing against us though), but he does make it rather hard to have any sympathy for him after his dirty play against Cesc, Alex, and Robin.

I can see why some might argue that the fans were giving him some grief over the last while, and one might find some semblance of an argument in that, but his celebratory actions put other innocent parties, including fans who were doing nothing other than watching, at risk, and along with the fans who did resort to violence, he has to be held responsible for that as well.

Mark Clattenburg can now join the fortunately retired Dermot Gallagher (the Dan Smith referee and I believe also the Pedro Mendes referee)as possessing incomparable vision and refereeing ability.

“Only God can judge me” is one of Adebayor’s tattoos. He will have amend that to include the FA after Wed. or Thurs. I said 3-6 games suspension. I will now say >6 games suspension because of his provocation that led to the injury to a steward.

If you suspend Eduardo for 2 games for diving then announce that you will not be suspending anyone else going forward, you’ve put yourself in an untenable position. You’ve pandered to the media w/ a quick decision then you realized that this would become a can of worms on every match day in the future. You would also be eroding the authority of the referee. Now UEFA will want to put this episode quickly behind them before they lose anymore face.

A very Beautiful post Tim. I have been a regular reader since this blog was just a few months old and the things you post just gets better and better.

No matter how expensive Ade’s watch or clothes he puts on he is just a thug, nothing more.

I am from the Philippines and I have never seen an Arsenal game live in London. I have the current Arsenal strip (home and away) and wear it in every Arsenal game that I watch. I have supported this club when Arsene took over and was awed by the genius of Henry. He left for Barcelona but I remained an Arsenal fan.

Heroes and legends will come and go but I will continue to support this club. No matter how far I am from the heart of North London.

one of the best post i have ever read! im from el paso texas! at this moment i love arsenal more then anything else, i watch every single arsenal game! and it brings me joy like nothing else. i cant wait for the day i get to go see arsenal for the first time at Emirates stadium!!! great post like always tim!!

Well said, I constantly have to defend my allegiance to the mighty arsenal , and can only pray that I will one day have the means to make a yearly pilgrimage to North London. As for Ade, I have composed the following chant for him to the tune of The Adams Family theme…

Adebayor (click , click) Adebayor (click, click)
Adebayor, Adebayor, Adebayor (click, click)
He wished that he was Henry,
Took it out on poor Van Persie.
Tallest donkey that you will see,
the 9 foot Togolese.
Chorus
What an amazing guy,
Who knew they stacked shit so high.
But we’re glad to see his backside,
he is City’s problem now.
Chorus.

Nice post. Totally agree with you. Although I’m thinking that it’s maybe like the Hadj; if you’re a gooner and you have the means, you have to see them live at least once in your life? There is something amazing about Arsenal in the flesh.

Then again, “whether you watch them on a shitty internet feed in Australia”, cheers, Tim!

Hello all my American friends. I have read this blog for as long as I can remember – I find it insightful, refreshing and fully satisfying. Its odd isn’t it, I’m actually proud that my beloved ‘little old Arsenal’ has men and women in America that care about it. My gratitude to you all, wherever on the planet you may be.

Look, I think you’re taking Ade’s comments too personally. He’s miffed because he’s now at a club that doesn’t have many supporters in Africa, Asia, America or…er…Jamaica, so no one will be watching him on tv.

As to the distrust of foreigners, it’s built in to the history of football. The word ‘club’ sums it up; it once meant an association of people, generally neighbours from a particular part of a city: Genoa versus Sampdoria (the city centre and the docks versus the rich suburbs); Everton versus Liverpool; Milan versus Inter; Spurs versus Arsenal. And that history, that rivalry, is still part of the rhetoric. Whether it means much anymore now clubs are not clubs in the traditional sense but multimillion global businesses, is another debate. Who are our chief enemies today, Spurs still, or United, or Real Madrid?

When I read this yeaterday, my eyes filled with so much tears that it was very dificult for me to see the screen properly. Besides, I didn’t want to get overly emotional in my comments. Even my wife asked me what the matter was. I felt a little embarrassed to tell her that I was shedding tears over a little matter of genuine love for “my club”. Even reading it again still fills me with emotion.

This is the second time that I have read such emotional piece filled with such depth of love for the Arsenal. Interestingly, both have been written by the so called FOREIGNERS. How many Englishmen love Arsenal this much? I will not presume to know. One thing that I do know for sure is that majority of them are too over-critical to do the club and team any good.

Tim, I am British, but not English, not Scotish, not Welsh, and not Irish. I guess, like you, I am still foreign because my mother is American and my Dad, Nigerian. Isn’t it interesting that when the Chips are down, the people who stand by Arsenal the most are the so called foreigners? What is most annoying therefore is when another foreginer (Adebayor), who has been shown the most love by the ‘foreign’ supporters turns round to label such supporters as ‘Plastic’. Sad indeed.

I salute your love for the Arsenal. Long may it continue. I pray from the depth of my soul that the team gets divine guide to success this season so that I can join you when, once again, you get the chance to shout “I told you so!”

It's almost all books anyway and reading books will make my writing better. Think of it like telling me "you really suck, read this" or "hey, you could be better if you, you know, READ A BOOK every once in a while." That's what I'll be thinking every time I get something you buy me off my list in the mail.